


Kissing Married Men Has Strange Outcomes

by HK44



Series: Blind!Nico AU [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Blind Character, Blind!Nico, F/M, Fluff, Groping, Kissing, M/M, Polyamory, author can't tag worth shit, face touching, um
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 16:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7647490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HK44/pseuds/HK44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico isn't really sure what he expected from Annabeth after kissing Percy. A punch to the face. A quick kick to the balls, perhaps.</p><p>Just not a proposal to date the two of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kissing Married Men Has Strange Outcomes

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another installment in my blind!Nico AU. Not necessarily in keeping with the timeline or universe of the others.
> 
> Anyway, Nico is 19. And Percy and Annabeth aren't technically married yet but let's face it. They were symbolically married the moment they met so it still counts.

Nico leaned on the railing, a glass of root beer clenched tight in his fist. Ahead of him were blurry lights and the sound of cars honking loud, New Yorkers shouting at one another. He grinned and took a sip, twisting slightly towards the sound of the door sliding open behind him.

“Hey.” Percy’s hand tentatively touched Nico’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“Mmmm,” Nico hummed.

Percy relaxed beside him, railing squeaking under his weight. “You’re missing out on the party.”

“Sorry.” Nico pulled back, gripping the railing as he leaned. “Crowded areas- it’s just loud.”

“And not seeing makes a little worse?”

“Only a little,” he agreed. He shrugged. “But I just needed some air anyway.” He grinned, slight, teeth flashing. “What about you? It’s your party. Shouldn’t you be convincing Leo to not spike the punch?”

Percy snorted. “First of all, convincing Leo to not spike the punch will never not happen so you best avoid it.” Nico rolled his eyes. “Secondly-” Percy exhaled heavy. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Especially since you-“ Percy’s blurry form made vague gestures in the air. The railing was struck, singing.

“- _left_ ,” he finished, finally, “after Annabeth…”

Nico dropped his arms, feet rolling back solidly onto the ground and he tightened his grip on the railing. Twenty minutes before Nico slid out to the balcony, Annabeth had proposed to Percy. After everyone else’s gifts had been distributed and opened but right before the cake had been brought out. In the hubbub of celebration and congratulations, Nico had poured himself a quick glass of root beer and disappeared out onto the balcony to breathe. It wasn’t jealousy but something… something different and tense tightening in his chest.

“Percy, it’s _fine_ ,” Nico stressed with a laugh. “It just got loud.” He reached out and let his fingers brush over Percy’s face until he was cupping Percy’s face. He patted it. “We’re fine.”

His hand dropped and he raised his glass, dipping his head. “ _Auguroni_. [1] You’ll be a blissfully wedded couple.”

Percy laughed. “That’s the goal, right?”

He bumped his shoulder against Nico’s and Nico could practically _feel_ the happiness radiating off him like a tidal wave of grins. The tenseness in his chest tightened a little more and he took another sip of root beer.

It was cool night for late August. When he’d stepped outside initially, the air had felt nice and pleasant. Now it was harsh and biting, his arms tingling. Agitatedly, he rolled his shoulders. The silence between them felt awkward and demanding.

Percy let out a groan, the railing squawking in protest as he leaned onto, slipping down and out of Nico’s limited view. “Will didn’t manage to escape the punch in time, by the way.”

“Figures.” Nico slapped at a bug on his arm with a grimace. “He complained about how thirsty he was the whole way here.” He bit his lip and twisted around, cane sliding over the balcony’s tile. “I should probably go sober him up. He gets clingy when he’s drunk.”

“No!” Percy said quickly, reaching out to snag Nico’s arm. Quickly he dropped his hand, leaning back against the railing. “I mean, someone else can take him home.”

“We live in the same apartment, Percy. And it’s over three hours away. It makes sense for me to take him home,” Nico said but he didn’t move from where he was rooted.

“No, well, _yeah_ , but I mean, maybe you’ll be doing something that will require another person to take him home.”

Nico rolled his eyes, brushing a hand through his hair. “I highly doubt that, Percy.”

“Okay, look.” Percy licked his lips, the sound loud and echoing in the short burst of silence the New York air permitted every three months. “Annabeth and I have been talking, um, about- about, um…” He trailed off, the silence settling deep between them.

Nico rolled his shoulders again, uncomfortable. His hand glided over the door, searching for the handle.

“Reyna!” Percy shouted just as Nico’s fingers latched around the handle. Nico jumped, instinctively jerking his cane out as his hand dropped from the door. His root beer splashed lightly over his pants, the plastic cup clattering at it hit the ground. Percy ignored the sword now pointed at him, continuing on. “Reyna was, um, talking to me and Will after he went a drunken spiel about what a great boyfriend you were and… _things_ you’ve done.”

Nico winced, sword slipping back into a cane. When he was drunk, Will, on top of being the clingest teddy bear in human history, was also _extremely_ chatty about everything that had ever happened to him. Which is how Nico came to know several things that currently made talking to Cecil and Lou a very awkward experience.

“Anyway, she _divulged_ some information that made me aware that you had deceived the both of us,” Percy finished.

Nico frowned. “What?”

“The touching faces thing?” Percy’s smirk was heavy in his voice. “She, uh, told us that you had told her that it could technically be considered a pick-up line since it doesn’t actually work.”

Nico flushed. “Okay, first of all, as a blind person, I was completely in the right to use that line and secondly, I didn’t know it was fake until after I used it on you so you have no right to be upset with me about it.” Percy said nothing and Nico squeezed his cane handle. “And you know what? I was twelve and I had a crush. It’s not the end of the world. Lots of twelve year olds with crushes do stupid things to try and get close to the people they like. I mean, I tried to make you fall in love with me by talking you into sacrificing yourself to the River Styx, for the gods’ sakes.”

“Yeah?”

Nico flinched, back against the wall. Percy’s breath flustered over his face and he went still, tense. He hadn’t even heard him move.

“Percy, what are you doing?” he asked.

“That was a love thing?’ Percy laughed, voice low and husky. Nico shuddered. “And here I’ve been thinking you were trying to protect me.” He licked his lips again, tongue flickering out the lightest bit over Nico’s nose. “Trying to keep me safe.”

“Same thing really. Not that it matters,” Nico grumbled, hands pressed firm to Percy’s chest. He gave a hard shove but Percy yanked him off the wall as he did, straight into his chest and kissed him deeply.

Nico froze up and for a few seconds, he stood like that, still and confused. And then Percy relaxed, pulling away.

“Okay, so I didn’t totally mean to-“

Nico threw himself at him. That odd, tensing knot in his chest unfurled and melted away. Percy tasted like the raspberry syrup that permeated the punch bowl and they hit the railing with a thunk. Percy grunted but didn’t object, heaving Nico as close as possible and gripping his hips so hard Nico could feel them bruising when being any closer was no longer feasible.

Percy kissed differently than Will, Nico noted. Harder, more insistent and demanding. His hand curved around Nico’s ass and squeezed, still trying to drag him closer and closer. Nico whined, insistently. Breathless, he tugged back, gasping, but Percy, ever relentless, just ducked his head and sucked angrily on Nico’s neck. His left hand shimmied between them, already palming Nico’s crotch without thought and Nico leaned into it, groaning.

It was the _shlink_ of the door sliding back open and the rattle of Percy and Annabeth’s obnoxious beaded curtain that woke him up and Annabeth saying, “Percy,” her voice heavy with an emotion Nico couldn’t quite place, that snapped everything back into place in his head, the sudden understanding that he _just made out with a recently engaged man_ slamming full force into his mind like a train crash.

Nico choked, nearly shoving Percy off the balcony. Percy just rocked, swearing lightly. He slung an arm around Nico’s shoulders, who went tense, sure this was the moment of his death. “Hey babe.”

Annabeth shut the door. “Percy,” she said again, voice tense.

Nico considered jumping off the balcony. It was late but there were probably shadows available to travel through. And if not, then he’d die and save Annabeth the heart wrenching pain of having to confess to one of her friends that she just murdered her brother. Of course, Hazel would probably go to the Underworld to kick his ghostly ass because she may have adapted quite well to the 21st century but adultery was something she still did not approve of, despite how often it was displayed.

Oh gods, he was going to have to stitch an A on all his clothes from now on, wasn’t he?

His head so overly swarmed with thoughts of impending doom and how hard it’d be trying to get the thread in the eye of the needle, he barely noticed Annabeth sliding up beside him until she stroked his hair back and said, “Percy, I said not to attack him.”

“He attacked me,” Percy protested, a tease in his tone. “Well, yeah, I kissed him first but still. That-” And he paused, no doubt gesturing to the railing. “-that was him.”

Annabeth didn’t- she didn’t seem _mad_. Much more amused, in an exhausted kind of way. And she was still stroking his hair.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted, shying away from the two of them, towards the beckoning shadows, the shades whispering for him. “I didn’t- I mean, I-”

Annabeth snagged his arm before he could escape, sighing exasperatedly. “Percy, did you say _anything_ before you kissed him?”

“Of course!”

“Anything about _us_?’

Percy’s voice faltered. “Um, I was going to?”

She snorted, amused. “Nico, I’m not mad.”

The silence trickled between them, odd, before he spluttered, “ _What?_ ”

“I’m not mad,” she repeated, a patient laugh. “Oh, this would make more sense if _someone_ hadn’t jumped the gun.”

“I’m drunk!” Percy muttered.

Annabeth laughed, voice trilling high and pleased. “One, you are _not_ drunk. You had one cup of punch! One! Two, you are _not_ excusing this, Percy.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Nico said, strained.

“Well, what’s happening depends on the following, really,” Annabeth said. “We’ve been talking and, well, there’s always been a little puzzle piece missing with Percy and I’s relationship.”

“Okay,” Nico said, lost.”

“Thing is, Nico, we both really like you, one of us-” And her hair swished, body tensing as she turned to look at Percy. “-a little more than the other, but that’s okay.” She took a breath, a deep one that generally indicated the start of something big she was going to ask of him, like a quick trip to Paris to buy a painting she’d knew Rachel would love or tour guide through the Underworld so she could question a scholar for her research paper.

“Would you be interested in joining our relationship?”

The silence trickled thick like molasses between them and Nico was all too aware of the party still going on inside and the fact that someone had just died three floors up and the bloody sound of fist fight happening near the dumpsters four floors down.

Finally, what Annabeth had said rolled fully into his head and he stared in her general direction for a few more seconds before spluttering, “ _What?_ ” He tugged himself away. “No!”

“Nico,” she began testily, like she knew he’d react like that.

He didn’t let her finished. “What the fuck, Annabeth? You just proposed! You’re getting married! You’re not- I’m not-” He was grasping at words, at something to shout at her so she’d understand the stupidity of what she was saying, that knot of tension that had melted away reforming solid and more painful all the while.

“Nico, we know it’s not _common_ but-”

“No, Percy! I shouldn’t- we- I-” He was in the shadows, feeling it pull at his clothes and pool around his ankles but not going anywhere, a deep want sprouting in the knot.

“Nico,” Annabeth said, voice patient as she dropped her hand onto his wrist. “If you had answered any of my calls in the last _three_ months, this wouldn’t seem… _as_ weird.”

He frowned. “You’ve-” Painfully, he took in a breath. “Three months?”

“Oh, no. Three months trying to ask,” she corrected. “A year coming up with how I was going to present it to you and working out with Percy what _exactly_ we wanted. Turns out all we really want is just… _you_.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

He closed his eyes, thinking. “ _Why?_ ”

“You’re smart, talent and very attractive,” she said and he let out a little moan of a laugh. “I mean, you haven’t seen yourself in a long time but believe me. You grew up nice, di Angelo.”

Her tone was teasing but true to the bone and he couldn’t quite help the flush spreading over his cheeks. The tense silence trickled between them again, a patient waiting smoothing the tension out a little less. He knew they wouldn’t be mad if he said no, that they wouldn’t hold it against him and treat him ever the same as they always had but…

“What- what if doesn’t work out the way you think it will,” he asked.

“It will,” Annabeth said, a tone of obnoxious surety.

“Hubris,” Percy muttered darkly, voice muffled, probably by her hair. A sharp slap sounded and Percy’s ducking laughter followed on the edge of it.

“It _will_ ,” Annabeth repeated. She sounde so _sure_ and confident that the knot of tension melted just a little bit, letting the want go straight to his head. “You can take time to think about it, Nico. We’re not rushing you, despite _some_ parties making rash decisions.”

“Ugh, you’re never going to let that go are you?” Percy groaned.

“Never,” she agreed.

Nico bit his lip as Percy muttered something that made Annabeth laugh loud and swat at him again. “I don’t like girls like _that_ ,” he said.

“I’m not asking you to,” she said. “Not all relationships have to be romantic or sexual.”

He twitched. “You’d have to put up with my-” He stopped and she sighed.

“We already do.” Her fingertips brushed up his arm and she stepped a little closer. “I’ve had Braille stickers on everything since we moved in and Percy won’t let me change a single thing just to make sure you never trip over anything.”

“I get called away a lot.”

“Nico, literally, _everyone_ here is used to you disappearing for a week without warning,” Percy said. He took Nico’s other hand, stepping away from Annabeth. “At the very least, all we’d ask is for a check-in every couple of days.”

Nico dropped his cane, letting it hang from his wrist as Percy circled his thumb on Nico’s palming. It was… soothing.

“Like she said.” Percy squeezed Nico’s thumb reassuringly. “You don’t have to give us an answer now.”

Nico bit his lip. The concept presented wasn’t strange to him. After all, he did have the unfortunate timing to have walked in on Persephone and Thanatos… _canoodling_ maybe three times in the past before they’d realized that maybe they _should_ start locking the door before they began their activities. The first time, Hades had found him slightly traumatized and hunched over by the Lethe, trying to figure out how much water he’d actually need to touch before only _that_ was wiped away and thanking the Fates for making him blind.

 And his father had explained that while he does not find Thanatos attractive outside of an aesthetic pleasing, Persephone did and who was he to deny his wife what she wanted when their entire relationship was filled with affairs.

And then Nico had died as his father continued on into a lengthy discussion about the relationships he’d held with various women and Persephone’s involvement in them, making sure to note her overt attraction to Nico’s mother, and the various involvements he’d had in her relationships with other men.

On top of that, there was a decent foursome in the apartment across from Nico’s that often invited him and Will over for dinner.

Nico relaxed.

“I’d have to do something first,” he said, thoughts ablaze.

“Okay.” Annabeth took a step back. “What?”

“You have to let me-” A breathy laugh fell from his mouth. “You have to let me touch your face.”

Percy snorted and she let out a little giggle while Nico grinned loosely. “Okay.” She stepped closer, close enough that Nico could taste the mint on her breath. “Go for it.”

Nico’s hands bumped against her jaw. She was only slightly shorter than him, not by much, and he curved his palms over her cheeks, sliding up. Her breath was warm on his skin as she let out a soft sigh. He dragged his thumbs over her hairline and began moving down, feeling her lashes flutter butterfly soft over his skin. Obnoxiously she licked at his fingers when they slid over her mouth and he snorted.

“It’s a myth,” Percy muttered.

“I know,” Annabeth said, snatching Nico’s hands before they can drop fully from her face. “So? Do I fit your high standards, oh blinded man?”

Nico leaned against Percy’s chest, pulling Annabeth ever closer to him. “I think I can squeeze you in.”

She ducked her face into the crook of his neck, her grin pressed hard against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her breathe.

“Well, I vote we kick everyone out and make out on the couch like the gods intended,” Percy mused.

Nico snorted, rolling his eyes. Annabeth swatted at Percy before pulling away so only their hips were pressed up tight together. “Actually that sounds pretty good. I was enjoying the show before it stopped.”

“Pervert,” Nico accused and she kissed his cheek, easy, like it was natural, something she’d done for years.

And it was strange how normal it seemed, for her to kiss him. For Percy to guide him back out into the living room, their hands held tight together. Nico couldn’t see if anyone was looking at them questioningly, couldn’t tell who was confused or who passing who money.

But in that moment, surrounded by friends and family, Annabeth tucked in his chest like she’d meant to be there and Percy challenging Jason to another Macarena dance battle, he felt at peace.

He felt like he was home.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> [1] Italian for best wishes according to [this website](http://icebergproject.co/italian/2015/09/23-phrases-for-congratulating-people-on-new-beginnings-in-italian/)
> 
> In prior response to anyone's panic about Will and Nico, they had a mutual break-up a month after they moved in together. The break-up was what spurred Annabeth's year long planning. So they are not together at the start of this.


End file.
